1As soon as it was morning, the head cohanim held a council meeting with the elders, the Torah-teachers and the whole Sanhedrin. Then they put Yeshua in chains, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. 2Pilate put this question to him: “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “The words are yours.” 3The head cohanim too made accusations against him, 4and Pilate again inquired of him, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many charges they are making against you!” 5But Yeshua made no further response, to Pilate’s amazement.

6Now during a festival, Pilate used to set free one prisoner, whomever the crowd requested. 7There was in prison among the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection a man called Bar-Abba. 8When the crowd came up and began asking Pilate to do for them what he usually did, 9he asked them, “Do you want me to set free for you the ‘King of the Jews’?” 10For it was evident to him that it was out of jealousy that the head cohanim had handed him over. 11But the head cohanim stirred up the crowd to have him release Bar-Abba for them instead. 12Pilate again said to them, “Then what should I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13They shouted back, “Put him to death on the stake!” 14He asked, “Why? What crime has he committed?” But they only shouted louder, “Put him to death on the stake!” 15So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the mob, set Bar-Abba free for them; but he had Yeshua whipped and then handed him over to be executed on the stake.

16The soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the headquarters building) and called together the whole battalion. 17They dressed him in purple and wove thorn branches into a crown, which they put on him. 18Then they began to salute him, “Hail to the King of the Jews!” 19They hit him on the head with a stick, spat on him and kneeled in mock worship of him. 20When they had finished ridiculing him, they took off the purple robe, put his own clothes back on him and led him away to be nailed to the execution-stake.

21A certain man from Cyrene, Shim‘on, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country; and they forced him to carry the stake. 22They brought Yeshua to a place called Gulgolta (which means “place of a skull”), 23and they gave him wine spiced with myrrh, but he didn’t take it. 24Then they nailed him to the execution-stake; and they divided his clothes among themselves, throwing dice to determine what each man should get. 25It was nine in the morning when they nailed him to the stake. 26Over his head, the written notice of the charge against him read,

THE KING OF THE JEWS

27On execution-stakes with him they placed two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 2829People passing by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! So you can destroy the Temple, can you, and rebuild it in three days? 30Save yourself and come down from the stake!” 31Likewise, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers made fun of him, saying to each other, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself!” 32and, “So he’s the Messiah, is he? The King of Isra’el? Let him come down now from the stake! If we see that, then we’ll believe him!” Even the men nailed up with him insulted him.

33At noon, darkness covered the whole Land until three o’clock in the afternoon. 34At three, he uttered a loud cry, “Elohi! Elohi! L’mah sh’vaktani?” (which means, “My God! My God! Why have you deserted me?”) 35On hearing this, some of the bystanders said, “Look! He’s calling for Eliyahu!” 36One ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar, put it on a stick and gave it to him to drink. “Wait!” he said, “Let’s see if Eliyahu will come and take him down.” 37But Yeshua let out a loud cry and gave up his spirit. 38And the parokhet in the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw the way he gave up his spirit, he said, “This man really was a son of God!”

40There were women looking on from a distance; among them were Miryam from Magdala, Miryam the mother of the younger Ya‘akov and of Yosi, and Shlomit. 41These women had followed him and helped him when he was in the Galil. And many other women were there who had come up with him to Yerushalayim.

42Since it was Preparation Day (that is, the day before a Shabbat), as evening approached, 43Yosef of Ramatayim, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who himself was also looking forward to the Kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Yeshua’s body. 44Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead, so he summoned the officer and asked him if he had been dead awhile. 45After he had gotten confirmation from the officer that Yeshua was dead, he granted Yosef the corpse. 46Yosef purchased a linen sheet; and after taking Yeshua down, he wrapped him in the linen sheet, laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. 47Miryam of Magdala and Miryam the mother of Yosi saw where he had been laid.

CJB brought to you by Messianic Jewish Publishers and ResourcesFor more information and to purchase a hard copy of the Complete Jewish Bible,